


Orange Juice

by rosydoky



Series: svt oneshots [13]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Angst with a Happy Ending, Comedy, First Meetings, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hopeful Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, kinda? its a little funny, seungkwan is having a Crisis, vernon just wants to help
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-06
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-06-22 17:12:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15586734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosydoky/pseuds/rosydoky
Summary: Seungkwan didn't mean to make crying in the Target bathrooms a nightly ritual, it just so happened that things worked out that way. Vernon is just a concerned stranger.





	Orange Juice

**Author's Note:**

> YES i am projecting my anxieties onto seungkwan. we all need some coping mechanisms sometimes!   
> also writing drought is starting to end i think so if you're reading amum i am So Sorry chapter 10 should be up soon!
> 
> anyways find me on twitter @vorekwan

Seungkwan sniffed as he raised his hands to wipe away the last of the tears falling down his too-hot face. He really wasn’t trying to make crying in a bathroom stall inside of Target a nightly routine, but maybe it  _ had _ happened for the third time that week. But who was counting, really? 

He took a deep breath, listening intently to make sure everyone had left the bathroom. He was lucky that people didn’t really care about strangers who sobbed in public restrooms, most of the other customers would filter in and out, minding their own business even as sobs racked his body a few feet away from them. 

Satisfied with the silence waiting for him outside the comfort of his designated crying stall, he pushed open the door gently, beelining towards the sinks to make quick work at removing all evidence of his crying session from his face.

“You’re back,” a deep voice said from behind him, causing Seungkwan to squeal in a way he wasn’t exactly proud of. 

He ducked his face quickly, avoiding the gaze of the stranger in the mirror, “what do you mean,  _ you’re back _ ? Have you been stalking me?” 

The other man snorted, stepping forward towards the sink next to Seungkwan’s, “I work here, and I noticed you’ve been coming in a lot, but you don’t buy anything. You just come into the bathroom for 45 minutes and leave looking distressed.” 

Seungkwan chanced a look at the stranger, realizing that he was in fact wearing a bright red polo and khakis, along with a name tag that had “Hansol” written on it in messy handwriting. His hair was a mess of light brown curls, and if Seungkwan wasn’t completely creeped out by the man listening in on his nightly breakdown, he probably would’ve found him cute. 

“That still doesn’t give you the right to follow me in here, I’m not doing anything wrong,” Seungkwan huffed, dabbing at his swollen eyes with a wet paper towel. He wondered if he should spare himself further embarrassment and just leave or continue on with his routine of sadly applying depuffing eye cream in the Target bathroom. He decided he didn’t really care what the weird Target worker thought of him anyway as he pulled out his eye cream. 

“I know you aren’t,” Hansol said simply, “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” 

Seungkwan turned his head quickly, furrowing his brows at the other man in confusion, surely looking absolutely ridiculous with the cream sitting beneath his eyes.

“I’m fine,” he snipped, turning back to mirror and patting the cream in gently, trying to ignore the way his throat started to choke up. He wouldn’t usually cry over a stranger being kind to him, it wasn’t like it was an unheard of experience, but he had been so sensitive lately, and the other man  _ did _ sound so sincere. 

“You’ve come in here the last two weeks at least three times a week to cry and then leave, you’re obviously not fine,” Hansol sighed, reaching for the soap dispenser. 

Seungkwan hummed his answer, not trusting himself to start speaking, knowing that he’d probably spill his entire life story to a complete stranger working the night shift at his local Target. And then he’d have to find a new spot to cry, which wasn’t ideal. 

Hansol froze in hesitation as he dried his hands, looking back and forth between the door and Seungkwan as he bit his lip in what seemed to be quiet contemplation.

“Ah,” he said, seemingly making his decision, “I get off work in thirty minutes. I know we don’t know each other, but you seem lonely, and I really want some pancakes.” 

Seungkwan laughed quietly, tilting his head, “what do pancakes have to do with me being lonely?” 

“Do you want to go get Denny’s or something? iHop maybe, if that’s more your style but I personally think Denny’s is better,” Hansol flashed a big, gummy smile, his cheeks reddening.

Seungkwan stared at him, considering for a second if going to get pancakes at midnight with a stranger he met in a Target bathroom would qualify as one of his “ridiculously awful ideas” as deemed by his best friend, Wonwoo. He calculated his potential consequences carefully, but finally decided the much needed distraction was worth the off chance that he would be murdered. 

“Okay,” he said finally, “but I’m driving myself, and I have pepper spray, so don’t think you can get away with killing me tonight, because I’d be really pissed.”

Hansol laughed, his smile widening as he nodded, “I’ll meet you there in 45.” 

 

As it turned out, Hansol actually preferred being called Vernon, he was the same age as Seungkwan, he absolutely hated working at Target, and he had a little sister he would steal all the stars in the sky for. He was also unconsciously hilarious, his facial expressions making Seungkwan smile without even trying. Most of all, Seungkwan was glad that the kid actually wanted to get pancakes with him and didn’t have plans to murder him in the dark alleyway behind Denny’s.

“So,” Vernon said, smiling gently over his glass of pink lemonade, “are we going to talk about why you’ve been coming into Target of all places to cry every night?” 

Seungkwan sighed, “it’s not every night, and it’s really not a big deal. I’m just a little stressed out.” 

Vernon hummed, taking a sip of his lemonade and eying Seungkwan carefully, “but why a bathroom stall at Target? Surely you have a bedroom to cry in? A closet, maybe? Hell, I know you have a car, so why sit in a gross bathroom just to sob?” 

“I have a roommate,” Seungkwan shrugged, “he’s my best friend, I know he’d be worried if I came home crying every evening, and I don’t want to bother him, I guess.”

Seungkwan bit his lip, swirling his straw in his half finished glass of orange juice, “and I guess I just like the company, which sounds weird. Something about crying alone in your car is so much more sad and cursed than crying in a gross public restroom. At least in my bathroom stall I know I’m not  _ really _ alone, you know?” 

Vernon frowned, his eyes narrowing with concern, “look, I know we don’t really know each other, but you seem like a nice enough guy. You should really talk to your friends about how you feel, I’m sure they wouldn’t want you to deal with this stuff on your own.” 

Seungkwan looked down at his empty plate, biting his lip as tears threatened to fall out of his eyes for no real reason. He was not about to cry in front of a near stranger, he had already done that once today and he was not going to be breaking any personal records.

“I just don’t want to bother them, it’s dumb stuff anyways,” he mumbled, picking at his cuticles. 

“It’s not dumb if it’s affecting you,” Vernon said, placing a warm hand over Seungkwan’s own, shaking hand from across the table. The gesture was simple, but so overwhelmingly comforting he couldn’t help but let a few tears fall. 

“Would it be easier to tell me?” Vernon asked, rubbing his thumb gently over Seungkwan’s palm, “you never have to see me again after tonight, if you don’t want to, and I’m more than willing to listen to your problems.” 

Seungkwan sniffed, wiping away stray tears with his free hand, “I guess I can tell you some of it, but really it’s stupid and you don’t have to you don’t even know me-”

“Seungkwan, I wouldn’t be asking you to talk to me if I didn’t want you to, you obviously need to get some stuff off your chest, and I’m just a kind stranger willing to listen. So fire away,” Vernon smiled, this time squeezing Seungkwan’s hand, engulfing it in his warmth. 

Seungkwan bit his lip, he really wasn’t the type to talk out his feelings with anyone, let alone a cute stranger he had just met. But something about Vernon felt safe, like he could tell him anything without judgement. He took in a deep breath, finally deciding he had kept things to himself for far too long.

“I’m just lost, I guess,” Seungkwan whispered, “I feel like everything I’m doing right now is getting me nowhere. Like I’m directionless. I go to school and work, but none of it makes me happy, I feel so stuck in this routine. I’m scared I’m never going to get the chance to do something I really care about.” 

Vernon nodded, continuing the soothing circles he was rubbing into Seungkwan’s wrist, “and what do you want to do?” 

Seungkwan laughed bitterly, “everything, nothing. Anything but what I’m doing now, really. I like music a lot, and making people laugh, and I think I’m pretty good at both those things. But I’m scared I’m not good enough at anything to really make something of myself.” 

“I just,” Seungkwan exhaled deeply, “wish I could skip the whole young adult existential crisis thing, fast forward to having some of my shit figured out. I feel ungrateful because I’m surrounded by amazing people, a loving family, a neverending list of golden opportunities, but I’m still miserable. I’m still spending my nights crying in the bathroom stall of Target. Isn’t that pitiful?” 

Vernon shook his head quickly, his frown deepening, “no, it’s not pitiful. This is a weird, scary time in our lives, I think everyone is losing their shit. You shouldn’t feel ungrateful or like a burden, you don’t have to have everything figured out right now, it’s okay to need help. We all do.”

Seungkwan smiled weakly, “you’re good at this, do you ask boys crying in bathroom stalls to accompany you to Denny’s often?” 

“You’re the first,” Vernon blushed, “I can tell you have a good heart, I wanted to help.” 

Seungkwan felt his cheeks heat up, for the first time in a long time not because he was crying his eyes out. He really didn’t mean to flirt with the handsome stranger who asked him to Denny’s at 12AM, but it seemed like a lot of things were falling into place without his permission lately. 

“Well, thanks,” he smiled, this time a little bigger, a little more genuine, “I do feel a bit better. Still stressed about this whole adulthood thing, but better.” 

“I’m glad,” Vernon smiled back, his eyes crinkling at the corners beneath his messy curls, “I really do think you should talk to your friends still, I’m sure they’d want to help you.”

Seungkwan nodded, “yeah, I guess I should. Thank you, again, you really didn’t have to sit here and listen to some weird stranger cry about his dumb problems. I’m starting to think you’re an angel or something.”

Vernon snorted, “don’t thank me, I already told you I  _ wanted  _ to help. Plus you’re pretty fun to hang out with, can’t say this is a bad night by any means.”

“Yeah, me either,” Seungkwan smiled, “I really need to get going though, I have class in the morning and I’m pretty sure my best friend is going to kill me if I sleep through it again.” 

“And you were worried about me murdering you,” Vernon smiled playfully, removing his hand from it’s place on top of Seungkwan’s to reach for his wallet.

Seungkwan frowned a bit, missing the comforting heat of the other boy’s hand and he realized he wouldn’t mind holding it again. 

“This one is on me,” Vernon said, fishing out a few notes from his wallet and placing them on the table, “you’ve had a rough few weeks.” 

“Wow, Target must pay well if you’re offering to pay for the dinner of some boy you just met,” Seungkwan giggled, standing from his seat and straightening out his wrinkled sweatpants. 

“Maybe I want to impress you,” Vernon shrugged, following Seungkwan towards the exit. 

“I think you’ve already accomplished that, stranger.” 

Vernon smiled, running a hand through his curls, making Seungkwan wonder what it would be like to run his own hands through them. 

“This might be weird,” Vernon hesitated, “and you can say no, obviously, but uh, I had a really good time tonight-”

“Even when I cried?” Seungkwan interrupted, smiling widely. 

“Yeah, that wasn’t exactly  _ fun  _ but I still had a good time the rest of the night,” Vernon mumbled, “and maybe we can do this again sometime? I can give you my number, you can text me the next time you feel like crying in a public restroom.” 

Seungkwan blushed, nodding shyly as he reached for his phone to punch in Vernon’s number with shaky hands, this time not from overexertion due to crying. 

“I’ll be seeing you around then?” Vernon asked, looking at Seungkwan expectantly. 

“Yea, and next time I won’t cry the whole time,” Seungkwan giggled.

“I don’t think I’d mind,” Vernon shrugged, “I’m gonna let you go now, text me, if you want of course.” 

Seungkwan rolled his eyes as he walked towards his car, “don’t think you’ll be getting rid of me anytime soon, Vernon,” he shouted across the parking lot, waving as he ducked into his car and shut the door.

He watched as Vernon waved back, getting into his own car and driving away, a song playing so loudly from his speakers Seungkwan could hear it from the confined space of his own car. A part of him wished he knew what song it was so he could listen to it on his way home.

He let out a sigh, resting his head on his steering wheel and smiling to himself. Maybe things were starting to make sense after all. 


End file.
